Tottenham Hotspur once again frustrated Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium with a convincing 2-0 win that continued their perfect start to the Premier League season. Two first-half goals secured the result and underlined Thomas Frank’s reputation as one of the most tactically astute managers in the league.
This win gives Spurs six points from their opening two matches and represents their strongest start to a league campaign in over ten years. Frank also joins José Mourinho and Antonio Conte as one of the few managers to defeat Pep Guardiola away from home in league competition with two different clubs.
#### **Tactical Discipline from Tottenham**
Thomas Frank’s coaching philosophy has always been about adaptability. Tottenham have already shown different faces this season. They used a defensive back five to edge PSG in the UEFA Super Cup and dominated possession in a 3-0 victory over Burnley in their Premier League opener using a traditional back four.
Against Manchester City, Frank opted for another back four and his players delivered a near-flawless display. Their first goal summed up their ability to switch approach when needed. Although they had been comfortable building from the back, this move was all about directness. A long ball forward found Pape Sarr, who flicked it on to Richarlison. The Brazilian calmly set up Brennan Johnson to slot home. Tottenham have now scored first in each of their last five league visits to the Etihad and have taken points in three of those matches.
The second goal came just before half-time after a poor City restart. Goalkeeper James Trafford hesitated on a short pass, allowing Sarr to apply pressure and force an error. Joao Palhinha seized the opportunity to fire home Tottenham’s second. This made Spurs the first team to score twice in five consecutive top-flight matches away to City since Sunderland achieved the feat between 1980 and 2000.
#### **City’s Troubles Continue**
Manchester City rarely looked threatening. This was Guardiola’s tenth career defeat to Tottenham, the joint-highest number of losses he has suffered against any opponent in his managerial career.
Omar Marmoush was their brightest spark in the opening half. The Egyptian forward created three of City’s four first-half efforts, including a clear chance after Erling Haaland’s perfectly weighted pass that was denied by Guglielmo Vicario. After the interval, City’s attack became lifeless. Their first shot on target of the second period did not come until the 76th minute when Rodri’s header from a corner forced a save.
Tottenham, by contrast, remained solid and disciplined. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence managed City’s wide threats with composure, while Palhinha dominated midfield battles, finishing with more tackles and duels won than any other player.
#### **A Historic Result**
This victory made Tottenham only the second team to win away to a Guardiola-managed side in consecutive league seasons. It was also just the third time Guardiola has lost the opening home league match of a season in his managerial career, following similar results with Barcelona in 2010 and City in 2020.
With six points and a goal difference of plus five, Tottenham have not started a season this strongly since the 2014-15 campaign. For Thomas Frank, this is an early statement that his team can compete with the very best.
For Pep Guardiola, the challenge now is to find answers against a Tottenham side that has mastered the art of shutting his team down.
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